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About the course

The training year begins at the beginning of the academic year through to middle of June the following year enabling you to take up employment from 1st July to schools that offer it.

This practical course comprises a mix of classroom-based learning in a school to academic training on either generic "Professional Studies" lectures at a local KMT hub-training centre or "Subject Studies" training with the other Art trainees at various locations across the partnership.

For the first two placements, you work in school for 4 days a week learning how to teach by leading lessons. Thursday is your academic afternoon where either professional or subject studies sessions take place. When you return to you home school after Easter, you will be in school for the full 5 day week.

Your studies gradually build from observing teachers and lessons to working with your mentor in team planning and teaching until by the end of the course, you are teaching 60% of a full timetable. At all times, there will be the classroom teacher available to support you nearby.

You will gain experience of parents evenings, clubs and many other after school events that make up the life of a teacher.

The course focuses on the teaching and learning of KS3 and KS4 students and you will be assessed on your teaching of classes from these key stages. However, because of Kent and Medway’s unique education system you will also be given the opportunity to experience KS5 teaching.

Throughout the year, you will be building up a portfolio of evidence demonstrating your progress towards meeting the "Teaching Standards." Academic research is through the completion of Reflective, Practical Journals (RPJ) and these are spread across the academic year.

In addition, for those wishing to top up their qualification to PGCE, you will have other assignment to complete at various times through the year as published by the University of Leeds Beckett. This course is delivered through a distance-learning package and training will take place in your local hub- training centre.

To aid your development, you will have one formal lesson observation and one dedicated mentor meeting each week. This is where you sit with your school mentor, discuss your progress and make targets for the following week. Their work is enhanced further by KMT lead mentors and course directors who further oversee and support all aspects of your studies.

Interview process

To be considered for interview, we need a completed UCAS application. To avoid delay we accept emailed drafts of these (pending references) emailed to office@mvtp.org .

Once received, your application is sent to your chosen campus for their consideration.

If selected for interview, a date will be arranged where you will;

visit the school,

observe and participate in lessons,

sit the KMT entrance tests in English and present a portfolio of artwork of your choice.

undertake a formal interview with the Subject Leader. the school's Professional Tutor and a representative from Kent and Medway Training.

PLEASE NOTE: We never ask applicants on a non-salaried course to teach a lesson or part lesson at interview.

The formal interview is approximately 50 minutes long.

You will be required to prepare a 10-minute presentation on what made a lesson that you have seen, good or not so good. Further questions are asked to ascertain your suitability for teaching.

You will be given a conditional offer only if all members of the panel agree to the placement. However, should you impress at interview but not be offered a place, you will be given the opportunity for your application to be considered by other partner schools without the need to sit a second formal interview.

Under these circumstances. you will visit the school, meet the Professional Tutor and Subject Leader, observe lessons and if all goes well, a conditional offer is made.

How school placements work

All applicants have the opportunity at application, to apply for the school of their choice. If appointed, that school becomes the trainee's "home" school and is responsible for the majority of the training; subject to the course requirements and quality assurance of the accrediting provider, Kent and Medway Training. The training year is split into three placements:

Placement A is at your home school and runs from the beginning of the academic year until the end of January. You are in school for four days a week learning how to teach your subject through a mixture of practical classroom experience and school-led training sessions. Thursdays are your KMT academic days where you will have either Professional Studies, led by experienced practitioners or Subject Studies training, led by subject specialists.

Placement B is at a contrasting school. For example, if your home school is a High School, you B-placement could be a Grammar School.

Where possible, your B-placement school will be discussed with you in advance and you will be placed in the local Medway or Maidstone area.

The placements runs from February to Easter where you continue to improve your teaching skills through teaching classes to school-led training sessions. Thursdays remain your KMT academic days where you continue with Professional Studies, led by experienced practitioners or Subject Studies training, led by subject specialists.

Placement A2 is back at your home school where you remain from Easter until the completion of your course in June. You will be in school for the full 5-day week. Thursday Professional and Subjects studies will have finished except for one further evening session preparing you for your Newly Qualified Teacher year.

During this placement you will be finally assessed through both lesson observation and your completed portfolio to ensure that you have met the teaching standards in full. Our grades are then externally moderated and assuming all goes well, your Newly Qualified Teacher status is confirmed and celebrated at a local hub- centred Awards Evening.

Fees

The course fees for 2019/2020 are as follows:

Student type

Fees to pay

UK students

£6,950

EU students

£6,950

International students

£6,950

The fee of £6950 is the cost for all trainees leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) only. This fee is payable by all non-salaried trainees but payable by the home school for salaried trainees.

For those wishing to "top up" their qualification to the full Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) a further £1800 will be payable to the University of Leeds Beckett who are our PGCE accredited body. This fee is payable by both salaried and non-salaried trainees.

Financial support

Requirements

Qualifications

-An Honours degree of 2:2 or better preferably in the Subject specialist area in which you are to train.

-GCSE Maths pass of Grade C/ Level 4 or better.

-GCSE English pass of Grade C/ Level 4 or better.

-Skills Test pass in Numeracy.

-Skills Test pass in Literacy.

-For those with overseas qualifications, we will need to see confirmation from NARIC of your qualifications being the equivalent of UK degree and GCSEs.

Personal qualities

Strong and dedicated professionals

Resilient

Proactive and creative

Open to feedback and guidance

Passionate about developing pupil learning and well being

Strong in their subject knowledge

Positive in their communication skills

Genuinely aiming to become an outstanding practitioner

Enjoy working with children and young adults

Other requirements

Before the course begins but not necessarily at application, you will need

at least 10 experience days in a secondary school or academy

at least 2 experience days in a primary school or academy

DBS check

Health check declaration

It is useful to attend a school experience day before application so that you can get a feel for the chosen school and what it can offer as a training placement.

About the training provider

The Medway Valley Training Partnership (MVTP) comprises schools and academies from Primary to Secondary level. MVTP co-ordinate the recruitment of trainee teachers onto suitable SCHOOL DIRECT teacher training programmes for our partner schools. Due to our success, we have grown tremendously from our small partnership of five schools, three years ago to a partnership of fifteen and counting.

You will find our schools in both Medway Towns and Maidstone areas in Kent, linked by the pretty "Medway Valley" railway branch line which runs from Strood station through to Maidstone West and beyond.

We offer a range of specialist secondary teacher-training courses alongside primary in a variety of school settings that will equip the successful trainee with the skills to be able to confidently teach anywhere in the country. Our unique position in Kent means that, where possible, trainees will experience not just Key Stage 3 and 4 GCSE training but also Key Stage 5, A -level. All of our School Direct teacher training courses are available at both Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and Post- Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE).

We have an excellent success rate with 100% of trainees completing the training course now employed in a school with over 90% in their home school or one of KMT's other partnership schools or academies.

All MVTP schools share one common goal;

TO TRAIN TEACHERS NOT JUST TO PASS THEIR TRAINING YEAR BUT TO GIVE THEM THE SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE TO HAVE A LONG AND SUCCESSFUL TEACHING CAREER.

Training with disabilities and other needs

We welcome applications from those with disabilities and regularly train and support students with dyslexia and mental health problems.

We, with our accreditation partners Kent and Medway Training, offer support and help with passing the Literacy and Numeracy Skills tests. We teach strategies for ensuing that Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar are accurate in, especially, work that is handed out to school pupils.

We have introduced a programme of support for those with mental health conditions and further advice as to where to gain specialist support should you need it.

We are proud of the support and guidance that we give to ensure that you are able to give of your best during your training year and we provide an environment in which you can feel comfortable in seeking support should you need it.

MVTP now have two secondary schools within our partnership that have specialist visually and hearing impairment centres:- Thomas Aveling for hearing and Robert Napier for Visual impairment.